- Joined
- Aug 29, 2012
- Messages
- 2,691
- Location
- Good Ol' US of A!
- Vessel Name
- Pau Hana
- Vessel Make
- 1989 PT52 Overseas Yachtfisher
Quite a week!
My wife and I took an Alaskan cruise on Holland America with a group of friends and enjoyed every minute of being "off grid".
Got off the cruise ship Saturday morning, and at noon jumped onto a 34' Mainship 34T as delivery skipper for a run to Portland from Elliott Bay. My crew had never been offshore, so he was a mix of excitement and a bit of fear.
We left under clear skies and calm Puget Sound waters. Rounding Port Townsend, the Pacific swell became predictably noticeable, but not uncomfortable. The Mainship simply chugged on without incident.
First stop- Seiku for fuel- only they are out! So plans for running overnight are out (full tank = happy skipper!)...so, overnight at Seiku.
Next morning, clear skies, and the Straits are 2-3 with long intervals. Headed to Neah for fuel, then around Cape Flattery and south. The forecast of 4 foot seas at 11 seconds out of the Northwest proved to be true, and the little Mainship took the quartering seas like a trooper, and the Yanmar purred. Yes, I was becoming impressed with this little boat!
Lots of life in the ocean- must have seen 30+ whales, plus a pod of dolphin aggressively feeding on the surface.
We continued down the coast, and between Forks and Ocean Shores, the wind picked up and the gentle following quarter sea became steep and full of whitecaps. The trip became a game of riding the trough, then turning SE to regain track. Thankfully, the owner had secured the vessel well of gear adrift, and the only casualties were a turnbuckle that backed off the cable securing the tender, and dinner- the spaghetti container in the cooler took a tumble and made a huge mess!
Approaching the Columbia Bar, my deckhand stated he had a "strong pucker factor", and went down to get his life vest. While of the flybridge, he decided to clean the cooler, and went to work....just as we crossed the bar 1.5 hours past the slack on the ebb tide. Zero drama.
Moored up at the Port of Astoria overnight; in the AM, fueled up, and headed upriver to Portland under beautiful blue skies and light winds. The run upriver was scenic and beautiful. Moored up at the destination, secured the boat, and headed home to Seattle.
Some takeaways:
Great trip, and I look forward to the next delivery job (yes, that is an ad if anyone needs a vessel moved
)
My wife and I took an Alaskan cruise on Holland America with a group of friends and enjoyed every minute of being "off grid".
Got off the cruise ship Saturday morning, and at noon jumped onto a 34' Mainship 34T as delivery skipper for a run to Portland from Elliott Bay. My crew had never been offshore, so he was a mix of excitement and a bit of fear.
We left under clear skies and calm Puget Sound waters. Rounding Port Townsend, the Pacific swell became predictably noticeable, but not uncomfortable. The Mainship simply chugged on without incident.
First stop- Seiku for fuel- only they are out! So plans for running overnight are out (full tank = happy skipper!)...so, overnight at Seiku.
Next morning, clear skies, and the Straits are 2-3 with long intervals. Headed to Neah for fuel, then around Cape Flattery and south. The forecast of 4 foot seas at 11 seconds out of the Northwest proved to be true, and the little Mainship took the quartering seas like a trooper, and the Yanmar purred. Yes, I was becoming impressed with this little boat!
Lots of life in the ocean- must have seen 30+ whales, plus a pod of dolphin aggressively feeding on the surface.
We continued down the coast, and between Forks and Ocean Shores, the wind picked up and the gentle following quarter sea became steep and full of whitecaps. The trip became a game of riding the trough, then turning SE to regain track. Thankfully, the owner had secured the vessel well of gear adrift, and the only casualties were a turnbuckle that backed off the cable securing the tender, and dinner- the spaghetti container in the cooler took a tumble and made a huge mess!
Approaching the Columbia Bar, my deckhand stated he had a "strong pucker factor", and went down to get his life vest. While of the flybridge, he decided to clean the cooler, and went to work....just as we crossed the bar 1.5 hours past the slack on the ebb tide. Zero drama.
Moored up at the Port of Astoria overnight; in the AM, fueled up, and headed upriver to Portland under beautiful blue skies and light winds. The run upriver was scenic and beautiful. Moored up at the destination, secured the boat, and headed home to Seattle.
Some takeaways:
- The Mainship is a very capable pocket trawler that I would take down the full length of the West Coast without hesitation.
- Yanmar makes a solid engine. I wasn't a real fan of high speed diesels, but the single 6LY ran without incident and decent fuel economy.
- Vessel prep and crew complement are critical. The owner took the time to ensure that the vessel was well secured and equipped with spares and safety equipment. My crew is a trusted friend that always has a calm demeanor and zero ego with regards to safety.
Great trip, and I look forward to the next delivery job (yes, that is an ad if anyone needs a vessel moved
)
